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Introduction

The St John Passion was heard for the first time at Good Friday Vespers of 1724 in Nicholas’s Church in Leipzig. With this performance, which took place towards the end of his first year as Kantor of St Thomas’s, Bach began the process of consolidating over the next twenty-seven years a still recent tradition in Leipzig which his predecessor in the post, Johann Kuhnau, had inaugurated with a St Mark Passion in 1721. The work’s incorporation into the liturgy of the Vesper service on Good Friday afternoon made it necessary to split it in two, as was subsequently to be the case in in all the Passions Bach gave in Leipzig: the first and shorter part was heard before the hour-long sermon, the second after it.

It is possible to distinguish five versions of the St John Passion, which are connected respectively with the performances in the years 1724, 1725, 1728, c1739, and 1749. All of them display significant modifications in detail, but also in the overall formal scheme of the work, the character of which is determined by the large-scale framing movements at the beginning and end. The furthest removed from the original design is the first revision. The opening and closing movements ‘Herr, unser Herrscher’ and ‘Ruht wohl’, along with the final chorale ‘Ach, Herr, lass dein lieb Engelein’, were replaced in 1725 by new movements. In both cases the substitutes were extended chorale settings: ‘O Mensch bewein dein Sünde groß’ (transferred to the St Matthew Passion in 1736) and ‘Christe, du Lamm Gottes’ (taken from the Cantata BWV23 for Bach’s examination for the post of Kantor in 1723). In addition to this, Bach replaced a number of arias. Two factors made him decide on so fundamental a transformation just a year after the premiere. In the first place, there was evidently no time to compose a new Passion; and secondly, he was clearly intent on bringing the 1724 Passion into line with the ongoing annual cycle (Jahrgang) of chorale cantatas of 1724–5. This aim was easy to achieve with the big framing choruses based on chorale themes and the inserted aria ‘Himmel, reiße, Welt, erbebe’ featuring the chorale ‘Jesu Leiden, Pein und Tod’.

The third version (1728) restored the original opening chorus ‘Herr, unser Herrscher’ and the closing chorus ‘Ruht wohl’ to their initial function, but dispensed with the final chorale. It is impossible today to reconstruct most of the major changes in this version, but we know they included the deletion of those sections from Matthew’s Gospel (such as the passage ‘Und der Vorhang im Tempel zerriss’) which Bach had taken over into the St John Passion for dramatic reasons. Given that a St Matthew Passion had come to join the St John in 1727, a clear segregation of the two Gospels was now desirable. The fourth version, probably dating from 1739, marked a return to the first version, but combined with a thoroughgoing musical revision. Bach recorded this in a newly copied score, which however breaks off at movement 12. The fragmentary revised score constitutes an extensive stylistic overhaul with painstaking improvements to the part-writing and a partial restructuring of the instrumentation; particular attention was paid to the word-setting in the recitatives and the continuo accompaniment.

With this fair copy of around 1739 Bach was obviously aiming to produce a final version of his St John Passion. The revision he began here was connected with the thorough reworking of a whole series of large choral works, including not only the St Matthew Passion but also the Magnificat, the Easter and Ascension oratorios and the lost St Mark Passion. Why his work on the St John Passion remained in a fragmentary state is unclear. Even the revival of 1749 apparently provided no stimulus to complete what he had begun. The revision of 1739 was disregarded, and during the 1740s Bach repeatedly performed Passion music by other masters (including Passion oratorios by Handel, Keiser and Graun) while seemingly resigned to allowing his own work to lie unfinished. Perhaps a row with the Leipzig authorities over the Passion performance of 1739 had taken its toll. For that incident had provoked an angry reaction from Bach, who is reported as saying that ‘he did not care, for he got nothing out of [the annual Passion music] anyway, and it was only a burden’.

All the same, Bach resolved to give his St John Passion again in 1749: this was to be the last Passion he directed. To this end he made further interventions in the 1724 form of the work, modifying and modernizing some of the poetic texts. Thus, for example, the line ‘Ich folge dir gleichfalls mit freudigen Schritten’ (‘I too follow thee with joyful steps’) was rephrased to read ‘Ich folge dir gleichfalls, mein Heiland, mit Freuden’ (‘I too follow thee, my Saviour, with joy’). Above all, however, he augmented the performing forces. For instance, a bassono grosso (contrabassoon) was expressly required in order to give the orchestra a sonorous foundation, and the existence of five continuo parts indicates that there was an especially rich array of bass and keyboard instruments.

In spite of its chequered history, the St John Passion displays in all its numbers a high degree of musical elaboration coupled with a special originality of content which is due above all to the theological idiosyncrasy of John’s Gospel in relation to the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. The former lays particular emphasis on the sovereignty of Jesus. This means that, in John’s account of the Passion story, the trial scenes before the chief priests and Pilate are treated in extensive detail and lead to the central question ‘Art thou a King then?’. Following the Gospel, Bach too gives great weight to the dialogic sections of the trial, makes special use of the opportunities for dramatic shaping, and makes the theme of the kingship of Christ his own. But already the opening chorus speaks of ‘Herr, unser Herrscher’ (‘Lord, our Master’). In the same vein, the central aria after the death of Jesus, ‘Es ist vollbracht!’, features an emphatic middle section on the text ‘Der Held aus Juda siegt mit Macht’ (‘The Hero of Judah is victorious in power’) hymning His triumph over death. And even the closing chorale with its opening words recalling the text of the work’s first chorus, ‘Ach Herr …’, is no funeral dirge but offers a prospect of the end of time and the eternal praise of the Heavenly King.

Whereas the St Matthew Passion, with its framing sections, stands in the tradition of the Baroque Passion oratorio, the St John Passion draws on the older tradition of the sung Passion historia, which customarily began with a plain introduction (‘Höret das Leiden unsres Herrn Jesu Christi …’—‘Hear the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ’). The opening chorus of the St John Passion combines the instructive character of the second section of the text, ‘Zeig uns durch deine Passion’ (‘Show us by thy Passion’), with the underlining of Christ’s kingship in the first section, ‘Herr, unser Herrscher’, based on the opening formula of an old prayer used in Electoral Saxony, ‘Herr, unser Herrscher, dessen Name herrlich ist in allen Landen!’ (‘Lord, our Master, whose Name is glorious in all lands!’). The liturgical function of the Passion setting as a sermon in music also finds expression in the dual chorus that concludes the work. The burial chorus ‘Ruht wohl, ihr heiligen Gebeine’ is followed by the chorale strophe ‘Ach Herr, lass dein lieb Engelein / Am letzten End die Seele mein / In Abrahams Schoß tragen’. The chorale individualizes the events of the Passion by underlining the words ‘die Seele mein’ (my soul), but at the same time, with its call to prayer, harks back to the didactic opening of this setting.

Among the distinctive features of the St John Passion is its relative downplaying of contemplative verse and thus the relegation of the solo numbers to a less important position. The number of arias is not large, and individually they are kept within relatively modest proportions. Whereas in the St Matthew Passion Bach underlines the significance of the poetic text, and hence the solo element, by inserting extended ariosos before most of the arias, the St John Passion has only two paired movements of this type. Similarly, there are no duets and only two movements combining soloists and chorus. Moreover, between the opening chorus and the chorus ‘Ruht wohl’ there are no tutti movements on freely composed texts. In the scoring of the arias Bach generally limits himself to either wind soloists or strings and dispenses with more elaborate accompaniment. The aria ‘Es ist vollbracht!’, placed at the centre of the work, is set in the style of a French tombeau, but deliberately breaking with the conventions of the da capo aria. While the middle section normally achieves contrast by reducing the dynamics, here Bach does the opposite: the A sections are for reduced forces (solo viola da gamba), the B section for full string orchestra; this corresponds to the markings Molto adagio for A and Vivace for B. The model for this ABA form is the French overture, but here its emblematic significance implies not the usual meaning (‘the king is coming’) but something highly unusual (‘the king is dying’—and at the same time ‘The Hero of Judah is victorious in power’).

In the structuring of its recitative, too, the St John Passion goes its own way. For example, a characteristic feature of the St Matthew Passion is the emphatic underlining of Jesus’ words in the Gospel narrative by string accompaniment. In the St John, all the soliloquentes (the biblical characters who express themselves in direct speech) are accompanied only by continuo. In compensation for this Bach brings out certain passages of particular importance in the text with a motivic treatment in regular metre: this is the case with Peter’s lament (‘und weinete bitterlich’) and the scourging of Jesus (‘und geißelte ihn’). The corresponding passages in the St Matthew Passion are set in significantly less striking fashion.

Also of great import in formal terms are the unusually broadly laid out and elaborate ‘turba’ choruses—that is, the sections of biblical dialogue for the chief priests, the people, the soldiers and the disciples. The original Johannine text already gives these dialogues considerable importance from a purely quantitative point of view, and Bach heightens their impact by compositional means. He further creates a system of thematic-motivic correspondences which gives the choral interjections of the various groups a cyclical organization through repetitions. The starting points for Bach’s formal method are the equivalent repetitions in the Gospel narrative (such as ‘Jesum von Nazareth’, ‘Kreuzige’ and ‘Wir haben keinen König’ / ‘Schreibe nicht der Jüden König’). Moreover, the multiplicity and concentration of the choruses stimulated the emergence of a network of formal relationships through the creation of symmetrical correspondences. This system of thematic-motivic relationships forms a correlate to the outer movements of the Passion. Thus, the internal organization, guided by the biblical words, and the external frame are very closely interconnected, defining the liturgical function of the work and thus revealing Bach’s first Leipzig Passion setting as a mediator between the older Passion historia of the seventeenth century and the more modern Passion oratorio.

Recordings

For the first time on record, listeners can experience Bach's gripping John Passion within its original liturgical context. This recording marks the return of Dunedin Consort's star-studded cast including, Nicholas Mulroy, Matthew Brook, Robert Da ...» More

Polyphony and Stephen Layton present their celebrated performance of Bach’s dramatic masterpiece. They are accompanied by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and a matchless team of soloists, including Ian Bostridge, acknowledged as the grea ...» More

J S Bach’s ‘Passions’ have been said to employ the word with more than one meaning—as well as telling the story of Christ’s sacrifice, they are simultaneously a celebration of human feeling in the joy and suffering of man’s pilgrimage on earth. Th ...» More

During the 2011 City of London Festival, Tenebrae joined a chamber ensemble from the LSO at St Paul’s Cathedral for a performance of Fauré’s Requiem. The Requiem was preceded by a selection of Bach’s Chorales interspersed with his Partitia in D mi ...» More

Evangelist: Jesus went forth with his disciples over the
brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered,
and his disciples. And Judas also, who betrayed him,
knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither
with his disciples. Judas then, having received
a band of men and officers from the chief priests and
Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches
and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that
should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them:

Evangelist: Jesus went forth with his disciples over the
brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered,
and his disciples. And Judas also, who betrayed him,
knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither
with his disciples. Judas then, having received
a band of men and officers from the chief priests and
Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches
and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that
should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them:

Evangelist: Jesus went with his disciples across the
brook Kidron, where there was a garden,
which Jesus and his disciples entered. Judas, however,
who betrayed him, also knew the spot,
for Jesus often gathered in that very place
with his disciples. Now when Judas
had engaged the band [of Roman soldiers]
and attendants of the chief priests and of the Pharisees,
he comes to that place with torches, lanterns,
and with weapons. Now since Jesus knew everything that
should [according to scripture] happen to
him, he went out and said to them:

Evangelist: That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake:
Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.
Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it,
and smote the high priest’s servant,
and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was
Malchus. Then said Jesus unto Peter:

Christ: Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my
Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?

Evangelist: In order that what he [had] said, the Word,
would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of
those whom you have given me.” Then
Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it out
and struck at the high priest’s servant and
cut his right ear off; and the servant’s name
was Malchus. Then Jesus said to Peter:

Jesus: Put your sword in its casing! Shall I not
drink the cup that my Father has given me?

Evangelist: That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake:
Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.
Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it,
and smote the high priest’s servant,
and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was
Malchus. Then said Jesus unto Peter:

Christ: Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my
Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?

Thy will be done, Lord God,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Grant us patience in this time of grief,
And to be obedient in love and suffering;
Check and guide all flesh and blood
That acts in defiance of thy will.

Your will be done, Lord God, alike
on earth as [it is] in the kingdom of heaven.
Give us patience in time of suffering,
to be obedient in love and woe;
restrain and hold in check all flesh and blood
that acts against your will!

Thy will be done, Lord God,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Grant us patience in this time of grief,
And to be obedient in love and suffering;
Check and guide all flesh and blood
That acts in defiance of thy will.

Evangelist: Then the band and the captain
and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him,
and led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law
to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year.
Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews,
that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.

Evangelist: The band, however, and the captain and
the attendants of the Jews took Jesus and
bound him and led him at first to Annas
(the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the one who
was high priest in that year). But it was
Caiaphas who advised the Jews it would be
good that one man be put to death for the
people.

Evangelist: Then the band and the captain
and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him,
and led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law
to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year.
Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews,
that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.

Evangelist: That disciple was known unto the high priest,
and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.
But Peter stood at the door without.
Then went out that other disciple, which was known
unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door,
and brought in Peter. Then saith the damsel
that kept the door unto Peter:

Maid: Art not thou also one of this
man’s disciples?

Evangelist: He saith:Peter: I am not.

Evangelist: And the servants and officers stood there,
who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold:
and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them,
and warmed himself. The high priest then asked
Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine.
Jesus answered him:

Christ: I spake openly to the world;
I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple,
whither the Jews always resort; and in secret
have I said nothing. Why askest thou me?
Ask them which heard me, what
I have said unto them: behold,
they know what I said.

Evangelist: And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers
which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying:

Servant: Answerest thou the
high priest so?

Evangelist: Jesus answered him:

Christ: If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil:
but if well, why smitest thou me?

Evangelist: This same disciple was known to the
high priest and went with Jesus into the
high priest’s palace. Peter, however, stood
outside, in front of the door. Then the
other disciple, who was known to the high
priest, went out and spoke with the woman
keeping the door and led Peter in. Then the
maid, the doorkeeper, said to Peter:

Maid: Aren’t you one of this man’s disciples?Evangelist: He said:Peter: That, I am not.

Evangelist: But the servants and attendants stood
around, having made a charcoal fire (for
it was cold), and warmed themselves. But
Peter stood among them and warmed himself. But the
high priest asked Jesus about his disciples
and about his teaching. Jesus answered him:

Jesus: I have spoken freely and openly before
the world. I have always taught in the
synagogue and in the Temple, where all
Jews come together, and have spoken
nothing in secret. Why do you ask me about
this? About this, ask those who have heard
what I have spoken to them! Look, these
same ones know what I have said.

Evangelist: But when he said such things, one of the
attendants standing nearby gave Jesus a
blow to the face and said:

Attendant: Should you answer the high priest like that?Evangelist: But Jesus answered:

Jesus: If I have spoken badly, then prove it is evil;
but if I have spoken rightly, why do you
strike me?

Evangelist: That disciple was known unto the high priest,
and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.
But Peter stood at the door without.
Then went out that other disciple, which was known
unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door,
and brought in Peter. Then saith the damsel
that kept the door unto Peter:

Maid: Art not thou also one of this
man’s disciples?

Evangelist: He saith:Peter: I am not.

Evangelist: And the servants and officers stood there,
who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold:
and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them,
and warmed himself. The high priest then asked
Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine.
Jesus answered him:

Christ: I spake openly to the world;
I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple,
whither the Jews always resort; and in secret
have I said nothing. Why askest thou me?
Ask them which heard me, what
I have said unto them: behold,
they know what I said.

Evangelist: And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers
which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying:

Servant: Answerest thou the
high priest so?

Evangelist: Jesus answered him:

Christ: If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil:
but if well, why smitest thou me?

Who has smitten thee thus,
My Saviour, and so wickedly afflicted
And ill-used thee?
Thou art assuredly no sinner
Like us and our children;
Thou knowest nothing of wrongdoing.
It is I, I with my sins,
Which are as many as grains of sand
On the seashore,
Who have brought thee
The distress that strikes thee down
And this sorry host of torments.

Who has smitten thee thus,
My Saviour, and so wickedly afflicted
And ill-used thee?
Thou art assuredly no sinner
Like us and our children;
Thou knowest nothing of wrongdoing.
It is I, I with my sins,
Which are as many as grains of sand
On the seashore,
Who have brought thee
The distress that strikes thee down
And this sorry host of torments.

Who has struck you so,
my Salvation, and beat you up
so badly, causing plague-spots?
You are by no means a sinner,
like we and our children [are];
you do not know of any misdeeds.
I, I and my sins,
which are as [countless as] the grains
of sand on the seashore,
they have caused you
the sorrow that strikes you
and the grievous host of pain.

Who has smitten thee thus,
My Saviour, and so wickedly afflicted
And ill-used thee?
Thou art assuredly no sinner
Like us and our children;
Thou knowest nothing of wrongdoing.
It is I, I with my sins,
Which are as many as grains of sand
On the seashore,
Who have brought thee
The distress that strikes thee down
And this sorry host of torments.

Ah, my soul,
Whither will you fly now?
Where shall I find comfort?
Should I stay here,
Or should I leave
Hills and mountains far behind me?
In the world there is no counsel,
And in my heart
Remain the sorrows
Of my wrongdoing,
For the servant has denied his Lord.

Oh, my sense [of good and evil],
where, in the end, do you want to go;
where shall I restore myself?
Shall I stay here,
or do I wish
mountains and hills [to fall] upon my back?
In the world there is no counsel whatsoever,
and in my heart
persist the agonies
of my misdeed:
for the servant has disavowed the Lord.

Ah, my soul,
Whither will you fly now?
Where shall I find comfort?
Should I stay here,
Or should I leave
Hills and mountains far behind me?
In the world there is no counsel,
And in my heart
Remain the sorrows
Of my wrongdoing,
For the servant has denied his Lord.

Peter, who does not think back [to Jesus’ Word],
denies his God;
at a penetrating glance, however,
he weeps bitterly.
Jesus, glance on me as well,
whenever I am unrepentant;
whenever I have done something evil,
stir my conscience!

Christ, who brings us salvation
And has done no wrong,
Was for our sake
Seized like a thief in the night,
Led before godless men
And falsely accused,
Derided, taunted, and spat upon,
As the scripture tells.

Christ, who makes us blessed,
has committed no evil;
for us, in the night, he was
seized like a thief,
led before godless people,
and falsely accused,
mocked, scorned, and spat upon,
as scripture goes on to say.

Christ, who brings us salvation
And has done no wrong,
Was for our sake
Seized like a thief in the night,
Led before godless men
And falsely accused,
Derided, taunted, and spat upon,
As the scripture tells.

Evangelist: Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the
hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves
went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled;
but that they might eat the passover. Pilate then went
out unto them, and said:

Pilate: What accusation bring ye against this man?Evangelist: They answered and said unto him:

Chorus: If he were not a malefactor,
we would not have delivered him up unto thee.

Evangelist: Then said Pilate unto them:

Pilate: Take ye him, and judge him according
to your law.

Evangelist: The Jews therefore said unto him:Chorus: It is not lawful for us to put any man to death.

Evangelist: That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which
he spake, signifying what death he should die.
Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and
called Jesus, and said unto him:

Pilate: Art thou the King of the Jews?Evangelist: Jesus answered him:

Christ: Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others
tell it thee of me?

Evangelist: Pilate answered:

Pilate: Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests
have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?

Evangelist: Jesus answered:

Christ: My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom
were of this world, then would my servants fight,
that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now
is my kingdom not from hence.

Evangelist: Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the
hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves
went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled;
but that they might eat the passover. Pilate then went
out unto them, and said:

Pilate: What accusation bring ye against this man?Evangelist: They answered and said unto him:

Chorus: If he were not a malefactor,
we would not have delivered him up unto thee.

Evangelist: Then said Pilate unto them:

Pilate: Take ye him, and judge him according
to your law.

Evangelist: The Jews therefore said unto him:Chorus: It is not lawful for us to put any man to death.

Evangelist: That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which
he spake, signifying what death he should die.
Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and
called Jesus, and said unto him:

Pilate: Art thou the King of the Jews?Evangelist: Jesus answered him:

Christ: Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others
tell it thee of me?

Evangelist: Pilate answered:

Pilate: Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests
have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?

Evangelist: Jesus answered:

Christ: My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom
were of this world, then would my servants fight,
that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now
is my kingdom not from hence.

Evangelist: Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas before
the hall of judgment, and it was early. And
they did not go in the hall of judgment, in
order that they would not be defiled, but
might eat Passover. Then Pilate went out to
them and said:

Pilate: What charge do you bring against this man?Evangelist: They answered, saying to him:

Evangelist: So that the Word of Jesus would be
fulfilled—what he said when he indicated
what manner of death he would die. Pilate
then went back into the hall of judgment
and summoned Jesus and said to him:

Pilate: Are you the King of the Jews?Evangelist: Jesus answered:

Jesus: Do you say that on your own, or have others
said it to you about me?

Evangelist: Pilate answered:

Pilate: Am I a Jew? Your people and the chief
priests have handed you over to me; what
have you done?

Evangelist: Jesus answered:

Jesus: My kingdom is not of this world; were
my kingdom of this world, my attendants
would fight, so that I would not be handed
over to the Jews; again, as it is, my kingdom
is not from here.

O great King, mighty for all time,
How can I sufficiently make known thy constancy?
No human heart can imagine
What gift to offer thee.
I cannot, in my mind, find anything
To compare with thy mercy.
How then can I repay thy deeds of love
With my acts?

O great King, mighty for all time,
How can I sufficiently make known thy constancy?
No human heart can imagine
What gift to offer thee.
I cannot, in my mind, find anything
To compare with thy mercy.
How then can I repay thy deeds of love
With my acts?

Oh great king, great through all the ages,
how can I adequately enlarge upon this
faithfulness?
Meanwhile, no human heart could think of
something [fit] to give you.
With my capacities I cannot arrive at
what indeed to compare your mercy with.
How can I, then, your acts of love
with my deeds repay?

O great King, mighty for all time,
How can I sufficiently make known thy constancy?
No human heart can imagine
What gift to offer thee.
I cannot, in my mind, find anything
To compare with thy mercy.
How then can I repay thy deeds of love
With my acts?

Observe, my soul, with fearful joy,
With bitter delight and half-oppressed heart,
Your highest good in Jesus’ pain;
How for you, on the thorns that pierce him,
The keys to heaven bloom like flowers!
You can pluck sweetest fruit from his wormwood.
Therefore gaze unceasingly on him!

Ponder, my soul, with anxious pleasure,
with bitter delight and half-uneasy heart,
in Jesus’ agonies your highest good;
how, for you, out of the thorns that pierce him,
the Key of Heaven flowers blossom!
You can break off much sweet fruit from his wormwood,
so look on him without ceasing!

Observe, my soul, with fearful joy,
With bitter delight and half-oppressed heart,
Your highest good in Jesus’ pain;
How for you, on the thorns that pierce him,
The keys to heaven bloom like flowers!
You can pluck sweetest fruit from his wormwood.
Therefore gaze unceasingly on him!

Consider, how his blood-tinged back,
in all aspects
is just like the sky.
Where, after the floodwaves
of our sins’ deluge have passed by,
the most exceedingly beautiful rainbow
stands as a sign of God’s grace!

From thy captivity, Son of God,
Freedom must come to us;
Thy prison is the throne of grace,
The sanctuary for all pious folk;
For if thou hadst not entered into bondage
Our bondage would have been everlasting.

Through your imprisonment, Son of God,
freedom has to come to us;
your dungeon is the Throne of Grace,
the refuge of all the devout;
for had you not entered into servitude,
our servitude would have had to be eternal.

From thy captivity, Son of God,
Freedom must come to us;
Thy prison is the throne of grace,
The sanctuary for all pious folk;
For if thou hadst not entered into bondage
Our bondage would have been everlasting.

Chorus: If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend:
whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.

Evangelist: When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought
Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a
place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew,
Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of the
passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews:

Pilate: Behold your King!Evangelist: But they cried out:Chorus: Away with him, crucify him!Evangelist: Pilate saith unto them:Pilate: Shall I crucify your King?Evangelist: The chief priests answered:Chorus: We have no king but Caesar.

Evangelist: Then delivered he him therefore unto them
to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and
led him away. And he bearing his cross went forth
into a place called the place of a skull,
which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha.

Chorus: If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend:
whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.

Evangelist: When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought
Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a
place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew,
Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of the
passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews:

Pilate: Behold your King!Evangelist: But they cried out:Chorus: Away with him, crucify him!Evangelist: Pilate saith unto them:Pilate: Shall I crucify your King?Evangelist: The chief priests answered:Chorus: We have no king but Caesar.

Evangelist: Then delivered he him therefore unto them
to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and
led him away. And he bearing his cross went forth
into a place called the place of a skull,
which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha.

Evangelist: When Pilate heard those words, he led
Jesus out and installed himself on the
judgment seat, at the place that is called
“High Pavement,” but “Gabbatha” in
Hebrew. It was, however, the preparation
day in Passover, at the sixth hour, and he
[Pilate] says to the Jews:

Evangelist: Then he handed him over, so that he would
be crucified. They took Jesus again and
led him away. And he carried his cross and
went out to the place that is called “Place
of Skulls”; which in Hebrew is called:
“Golgotha.”

Evangelist: Where they crucified him, and two other with him,
on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
And Pilate wrote a title and put it on the Cross.
And the writing was,
Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.
This title then read many of the Jews:
for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city:
and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek,
and Latin. Then said the chief priests
of the Jews to Pilate:

Chorus: Write not, The King of the Jews;
but that he said,
I am King of the Jews.

Evangelist: Where they crucified him, and two other with him,
on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
And Pilate wrote a title and put it on the Cross.
And the writing was,
Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.
This title then read many of the Jews:
for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city:
and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek,
and Latin. Then said the chief priests
of the Jews to Pilate:

Chorus: Write not, The King of the Jews;
but that he said,
I am King of the Jews.

Evangelist: There they crucified him, and with him
two others, one on either side, but Jesus
in the middle. But Pilate wrote a title
and put it on the cross,
and [it] was written, “Jesus
of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many
Jews read this title, for the place where
Jesus was crucified was near the city. And
it was written in the Hebrew, Greek, and
Latin languages. Then the chief priests of
the Jews said to Pilate:

In the inmost reaches of my heart,
Thy Name and thy Cross alone
Shine at all times, every hour,
Making me rejoice.
Appear before me,
Console me in my distress,
Showing me how thou, Lord Jesus,
Didst so meekly bleed to death.

In the bottom of my heart,
your name and cross alone
shines forth every age and hour,
for which I can be joyful.
Appear to me in the image –
for consolation in my distress –
of how you, Lord Christ, so abundantly
have bled yourself to death!

In the inmost reaches of my heart,
Thy Name and thy Cross alone
Shine at all times, every hour,
Making me rejoice.
Appear before me,
Console me in my distress,
Showing me how thou, Lord Jesus,
Didst so meekly bleed to death.

Evangelist: Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus,
took his garments, and made
four parts, to every soldier a part;
and also his coat: now the coat was
without seam, woven from the top throughout.
They said therefore among themselves:

Chorus: Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it,
whose it shall be.

Evangelist: That the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith,
They parted my raiment among them, and
for my vesture they did cast lots. These things
therefore the soldiers did. Now there stood
by the Cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister,
Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus therefore saw his mother,
and the disciple standing by, whom he loved,
he saith unto his mother:

Evangelist: Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus,
took his garments, and made
four parts, to every soldier a part;
and also his coat: now the coat was
without seam, woven from the top throughout.
They said therefore among themselves:

Chorus: Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it,
whose it shall be.

Evangelist: That the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith,
They parted my raiment among them, and
for my vesture they did cast lots. These things
therefore the soldiers did. Now there stood
by the Cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister,
Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus therefore saw his mother,
and the disciple standing by, whom he loved,
he saith unto his mother:

Evangelist: The soldiers, however, when they had
crucified Jesus, took his clothes
and made four parts, to each soldier
his part, with these also the robe.
But the robe was seamless,
woven in one piece from top to bottom. Then
they said to one another:

Evangelist: So that the scripture would be fulfilled,
which says: “They have parted my clothing
among themselves and have cast lots about
my robe.” Such a thing
the soldiers did. But there stood by
the cross of Jesus his mother and his
mother’s sister, Mary, Cleophas’s wife,
and Mary Magdalene. Now when Jesus
saw his mother, and the disciple whom
he loved standing by, he says to his mother:

Jesus: Woman, look, this is your son!Evangelist: After that he says to the disciple:Jesus: Look, this is your mother!

He thought of everything
in the final hour:
still considerate of his mother,
[he] assigns her a guardian.
O humankind, set everything in order,
love God and humanity,
die afterwards without any woe,
and do not let yourself be troubled!

Evangelist: And from that hour on, the disciple took
her to his own. After this, since Jesus knew that
everything had already been accomplished, [and, in order]
that scripture would be fulfilled, he says:

Jesus: I thirst!

Evangelist: A vessel filled with vinegar was standing
there. But they filled a sponge with [the]
vinegar, set it upon a hyssop branch, and
held it up to his mouth. Now when Jesus
had taken the vinegar, he said:

My dear Saviour, let me ask thee,
Now that thou art nailed to the Cross
And hast thyself said, ‘It is finished’:
Am I delivered from death?
Can I gain the heavenly kingdom
Through thy suffering and death?
Is the whole world’s redemption at hand?
Thou canst not speak for agony,
But dost bow thy head
To give a speechless ‘Yes!’.

Jesus, thou who wert dead,
Now dost live eternally.
When I am in the throes of death,
Do not let me turn anywhere
But to thee who hast redeemed my sins,
My dear Lord!
Give me only what thou hast won,
I desire nothing more.

My precious Savior, let me ask you:
since you were nailed to the cross
and have yourself said, “It is accomplished,”
have I been made free from death?
Can I through your pain and death
inherit the kingdom of heaven?
Is redemption of all the world here?
You can, in agony, it is true, say nothing;
but you bow your head
and say in silence, “Yes.”

Jesus, you who were dead,
[but] now lives without end;
in the final throes of death,
[I] turn myself nowhere
but to you, who reconciled me [with God the Father],
O you dear Lord!
Give me only what you have merited;
more I do not desire!

My dear Saviour, let me ask thee,
Now that thou art nailed to the Cross
And hast thyself said, ‘It is finished’:
Am I delivered from death?
Can I gain the heavenly kingdom
Through thy suffering and death?
Is the whole world’s redemption at hand?
Thou canst not speak for agony,
But dost bow thy head
To give a speechless ‘Yes!’.

Jesus, thou who wert dead,
Now dost live eternally.
When I am in the throes of death,
Do not let me turn anywhere
But to thee who hast redeemed my sins,
My dear Lord!
Give me only what thou hast won,
I desire nothing more.

Evangelist: And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain
from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake,
and the rocks were rent; and the graves were opened;
and many bodies of the saints which slept arose.

Evangelist: And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain
from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake,
and the rocks were rent; and the graves were opened;
and many bodies of the saints which slept arose.

My heart, as the whole world
Shares in Jesus’ suffering,
When the sun dons mourning garb,
The veil is rent, the rocks are split,
The earth trembles, the graves fall open,
Because they see the Creator grow cold in death,
What will you do for your part?

My heart, – while the entire world
with Jesus’ suffering likewise suffers,
the sun clothes itself in mourning,
the veil tears, the rock crumbles,
the earth quakes, the graves split open,
because they see the creator growing cold
– what will you do for your part?

My heart, as the whole world
Shares in Jesus’ suffering,
When the sun dons mourning garb,
The veil is rent, the rocks are split,
The earth trembles, the graves fall open,
Because they see the Creator grow cold in death,
What will you do for your part?

Evangelist: The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation,
that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on
the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high
day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken,
and that they might be taken away. Then came the
soldiers, and brake the legs of the first,
and of the other which was crucified with him.
But when they came to Jesus, and saw that
he was dead already, they brake not his legs.
But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side,
and forthwith came there out blood and water.
And he that saw it bare record,
and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true,
that ye might believe. For these things
were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled,
A bone of him shall not be broken.
And again another scripture saith,
They shall look on him whom they pierced.

Evangelist: But the Jews, because it was the preparation
day, in order that the corpses might not
remain on the cross during the sabbath (for
that particular sabbath was a very great
day), asked Pilate that their legs be broken,
and that they be taken down. Then the
soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
and of the other who had been crucified
with him. But when they came to Jesus,
because they saw that he was already dead,
they did not break his legs; rather, one of
the soldiers opened his side with a spear,
and immediately blood and water went out.
And he who has seen this has given witness
to it, and his witness is true, and this same
one knows that he says the truth, so that
you all may believe. For such a thing has
taken place so that the scripture would be
fulfilled: “You all shall break apart none
of its bones.” And again another scripture
says: “They will look on whom
they have pierced.”

Evangelist: The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation,
that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on
the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high
day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken,
and that they might be taken away. Then came the
soldiers, and brake the legs of the first,
and of the other which was crucified with him.
But when they came to Jesus, and saw that
he was dead already, they brake not his legs.
But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side,
and forthwith came there out blood and water.
And he that saw it bare record,
and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true,
that ye might believe. For these things
were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled,
A bone of him shall not be broken.
And again another scripture saith,
They shall look on him whom they pierced.

Help us, Christ, Son of God,
By thy bitter suffering,
Always to submit to thee,
To avoid all vice,
To meditate fruitfully
Upon thy death and its cause,
And, poor and weak though we be,
To give thee thanks for it.

O help, Christ, Son of God,
through your bitter suffering,
that we, ever submissive to you,
may shun all [spiritual and moral] failing,
[and may] consider your death and the reason
for it fruitfully;
in return, though poor and weak,
[may we] give you thanks offerings!

Help us, Christ, Son of God,
By thy bitter suffering,
Always to submit to thee,
To avoid all vice,
To meditate fruitfully
Upon thy death and its cause,
And, poor and weak though we be,
To give thee thanks for it.

Evangelist: And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple
of Jesus, but secretly by fear of the Jews, besought
Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and
Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took
the body of Jesus. And there came also Nicodemus,
which at the first came to Jesus by night, and
brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an
hundred pounds weight. Then took they the body of
Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices,
as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Now in the
place where he was crucified there was a garden; and
in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never
man yet laid. There laid they Jesus therefore because
of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was
nigh at hand.

Evangelist: After that, Joseph of Arimathea, who was
a disciple of Jesus (but secretly, out of fear
toward the Jews), asked of Pilate that he
might take down Jesus’ corpse. And Pilate
allowed it. Therefore he came and took
down Jesus’ corpse. But there came also
Nicodemus, who formerly had come to
Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of
myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.
Then they took Jesus’ corpse and bound
it in linen cloths with spices, the way the
Jews are accustomed to burying. But there
was by the place where he was crucified a
garden, and in the garden a new grave, in
which nobody had ever been laid. Right
there they laid Jesus, for the sake of the
preparation day of the Jews, because the
grave was near.

Evangelist: And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple
of Jesus, but secretly by fear of the Jews, besought
Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and
Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took
the body of Jesus. And there came also Nicodemus,
which at the first came to Jesus by night, and
brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an
hundred pounds weight. Then took they the body of
Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices,
as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Now in the
place where he was crucified there was a garden; and
in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never
man yet laid. There laid they Jesus therefore because
of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was
nigh at hand.

Rest in peace, sacred bones
For which I weep no longer,
Rest, and bring me also to my rest.
The grave that is prepared for you,
And holds no further distress,
Opens heaven for me and shuts the gates of hell.

Be fully at peace, you holy bones,
which I will no longer bewail;
be fully at peace and bring also me to this peace!
The grave – which is appointed to you and from now on
no distress will enclose – opens to me the [gates of] heaven
and closes the [gates of] hell.

Rest in peace, sacred bones
For which I weep no longer,
Rest, and bring me also to my rest.
The grave that is prepared for you,
And holds no further distress,
Opens heaven for me and shuts the gates of hell.

Oh Lord, let your dear little angels
at the very end carry my soul
to Abraham’s bosom,
[and let] my body rest in its little sleeping chamber,
completely in peace, without any sorrow and pain,
until the Last Day!
Then raise me from the dead,
so that my eyes will look on you
in all joy, o Son of God,
my Savior and Throne of Grace!
Lord Jesus Christ, grant me this;
I want to praise you eternally!

O Jesus, when I come to die
Let angels bear my soul on high,
To Abraham’s protection.
And as in Death’s repose I lie,
Watch o’er me with a Father’s eye,
Until the Resurrection.
And when from Death You waken me,
Let my unworthy eyes then see,
In utter joy, O Son of God,
My Saviour and my risen Lord!
O Jesus Christ,
Give ear to me, give ear to me,
Thy name I praise eternally!